


Our Hearts are Heavy Burdens (We Shouldn't Have to Bear Alone)

by peoplelikegrapes



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Dirty Talk, Dry Humping, F/F, Fluff and Smut, For now just prepare yourself for smut, I'll start adding specific tags once I write more
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-07 11:42:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14670357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peoplelikegrapes/pseuds/peoplelikegrapes
Summary: Over the years, Cheryl has learned to block out any emotions she feels towards women. Toni Topaz is about to change that without even trying.Or,Cheryl is repressed and also a horny mess.





	1. Ch. 1

Over the years, Cheryl had learned to keep certain emotions hidden. Love, attraction, and lust were kept under lock and key in her mind. She’d gotten so good at blocking them, that most of the time she didn’t think they were there anymore. But, every once in awhile something would try to push them to the surface. It never lasted longer than a minute or two, though. Cheryl made sure of that. She remembered one of those times bitterly. 

 

It had been when her mother had taken her and Jason to see a ballet show. They were both around 13 at the time. During the show she must have stared at one of the dancers far to intensely. Because when she glanced back to her mother the woman had never looked angrier. Once the show was over and they had arrived home it didn’t take long for her mother to explode.

 

_ “You need to control your deviant thoughts, Cheryl. The look on your face tonight was absolutely disgusting. Girls do not look at other girls like that, understand?”  _

 

Cheryl went to bed that night feeling defeated and angry with herself. Even Jason, who had snuck into her room later, couldn’t find the words to help. From that point on she had promised herself to close off all emotions. 

 

When Jason died, years later, it only solidified her feelings. He was the only one that seemed to know she was holding back. They told each other everything, but never talked about relationships. With him gone she was free to build wall after wall in an attempt to block out everyone.

 

Cheryl found that she was amazing at keeping her feelings quiet. She didn’t dwell on the fact that it was because nobody cared enough to see that she was hiding something. For instance, when Veronica and Betty shared their pathetic kiss at River Vixens tryouts. She didn’t even bat an eye as she let out a snarky comment. 

 

It was so simple to lie to everyone. Extremely simple, until Toni Topaz had waltzed into her life.

 

_ “Why don’t you come over here and say that to my face?” _

 

“ _ Happily queen of the buskers.” _

 

Cheryl didn’t show it on her face in the moment. But the interaction had startled her. It wasn’t that she was scared of Toni. Or any of the other serpents for that matter. No, it brought out one of the feelings she was so dead set on hiding.  _ Attraction. _ The way Toni had stared her down and angrily retorted. Cheryl was so very attracted to her, and that couldn’t happen. It’s why only seconds later she was threatening Archie about his kiss with Betty. It helped her ignore the sirens currently going off in her head. She couldn’t handle whatever the hell was happening. She’d decided then to avoid Toni at all costs.

 

That had been over a week ago. Her life had gone somewhat back to normal. Well, besides the fact that she couldn’t stop thinking about Toni. Or the fact that her heart would pick up speed anytime the other girl passed her in the hall. She never dared make eye contact with her. She was angry that this random serpent girl had such an effect on her. 

 

The simple plan of ignoring the girl fell apart as she wandered into the gym for Vixens’ practice. She immediately noticed Toni, clad in a signature yellow shirt, talking to Veronica. Neither of the girls noticed her slowly approaching from behind. Her anger building with every step she took. It wasn’t until Veronica noticed her over Toni’s shoulder that she spoke up.

 

“Why is there a snake currently in my gym?” Cheryl spat, putting her hands on her hips. “Explain yourself.” Toni turned around and rolled her eyes immediately at the redhead.

 

“Well, hello to you, too, Bombshell,” Toni answered not hiding the snark in her voice. Cheryl ignored her increased heart rate at the nickname as she glared back. “I’m here to try out for the River Vixens.”

 

“No, absolutely not,” Cheryl replied without hesitation. Toni crossed her arms and sighed.

 

“You can’t just tell me no. Veronica already said that if I danced well then I’d be on the team,” Toni said. Cheryl immediately turned her glare to Veronica, who was standing there silently. She shrugged when she has Cheryl’s glare.

 

“Why in the world would you want to join a cheerleading team? You’re in a gang. Don’t you just want to play with knives in your spare time?” Cheryl knew that her insult wasn’t the greatest. It was hard to focus when Toni was staring at her like she knew all the redhead’s secrets. 

 

“Extracurriculars look good on college applications,” Toni responded, shrugging her shoulders. “And for the record, I don’t really play with my weapons. I’m not that kinky.” Toni winked and Cheryl felt something inside her snap. She tried her best to ignore the sudden bombardment of feelings before sighing.

 

“Whatever, let’s get this over with,” Cheryl retorted, turning away and walking towards the other girls. Veronica took that as her cue to go start the music. If Cheryl was already feeling flustered, it was nothing compared to when Toni started her routine. The girl was amazing and had obviously had some type of professional lessons before. She knew exactly the right amount of risque dancing to mix in with the hip-hop.

 

Cheryl was holding her breath as she watched. It was torture and she couldn’t look away. She was the cheer captain, afterall. The more she tried to fight the attraction and arousal, the harder it fought to come out. After denying herself of these feelings for so long it was like they were intensified. After what felt like hours, the music cut out and the other girls began clapping. 

 

Cheryl felt herself starting to reign in control over her body again. As the feelings faded, the shame and anger started to kick in. She felt disgusted with herself. It wasn’t right of her to be thinking about Toni in that way. Her mother would be furious if she knew what just transpired. She wanted nothing more than to run out of the room as Toni made her way over to her.

 

“So, did I impress the queen of Riverdale High?” Toni asked and Cheryl hated that the girl didn’t even seem out of breath. Cheryl wanted to yell ‘no’ in her smug face, but she knew she couldn't. Toni was good and the other girls clearly thought so too. If she rejected the girl it would only look suspicious on her end.

 

“Congrats, you’ve just added another bullet point on your college applications,” Cheryl answered as the other girls gathered round. “Keep in mind, though. If you so much as miss a second of practice. You’re cut.” Toni didn’t seem at all affected by Cheryl’s threat as the others started to congratulate her. 

 

Cheryl didn’t know how she was going to get through the rest of practice after all that.

________________

 

Hours later, after a tortuous practice, Cheryl just wanted to go home. She needed to be alone to clear her thoughts. The universe had other plans for her, though. 

Cheryl jumped when she turned around and saw Toni standing behind her. She had thought she was the only one left in the locker room. Apparently not. 

 

"Woah there, bombshell, didn't mean to scare you," Toni said, holding up her hands innocently. 

 

"What do you want, Topaz?" Cheryl answered angrily. Why couldn't this stupid girl just learn to leave her alone like everyone else.

 

"Stop with the bitchy act. There's no one else here but us," Toni responded. Cheryl rolled her eyes and slammed her locker door shut. Anything to avoid eye contact with the serpent.

 

“It's not an act, you just really piss me off," Cheryl answered and grabbed her bag. This caused Toni to take a step forward, blocking her exit. She was desperately trying to escape this situation. "Move." Cheryl did her best to add as much authority to her voice as possible.

 

"I think the reason you're so hostile with me is because you like me," Toni smirked. Cheryl felt her lungs collapse at Toni's words. The girl knew and now she was rubbing it in her face. When Cheryl didn't respond Toni took another step forward. Cheryl moved backwards causing her back to hit the lockers. "Is Cheryl Blossom, Queen of Riverdale, and notorious ice princess speechless?" Toni joked in a seductive voice. It only made Cheryl's throat close more, breathing was becoming difficult.

 

"Not speechless, just shocked that you would ever think I feel anything other than disgust when I think about you," Cheryl quipped back, hearing the shakiness of her own voice. Her mother’s words ran through her head on a loop. This was getting bad. Toni didn't look like she was going to back down anytime soon.

 

"Oh, so you've been thinking about me?" Toni replied without hesitation. "I’m honored.” Cheryl had never been so nervous in her entire life. It was impossible to win against this girl. She wasn’t afraid of Cheryl at all. Toni lifted her hand and rested it on Cheryl’s arm. Cheryl almost flinched but composed herself at the last second.

 

“Get your sapphic serpent hands off me!” Cheryl yelled, slapping the other girl’s hand roughly. This only seemed to spur Toni on more as she smiled widely.

 

“Ya know, you’re really hot when you’re angry,” Toni said before taking another step forward. Her and Cheryl were basically chest to chest at this point. “I thought you were gonna rip my head off today. Then I saw the way you were looking at me while I danced. I realized, you didn’t want to rip my head off. You wanted to rip my  _ clothes _ off.” 

 

As Toni spoke, Cheryl could feel the tears starting to well up in her eyes. Her mother’s words were screaming in her head now. Drowning everything else out. Cheryl didn’t want to cry in front of Toni, but it was inevitable. Right as Toni finished her sentence Cheryl couldn’t stop the sob that erupted from her lips. The tears began rolling down her cheeks immediately after. Toni stepped back in shock at the other girl’s outburst.

 

“Oh my god, jesus, Cheryl. I’m sorry,” Toni apologised, not understanding what was happening. She watched as Cheryl dropped the bag she was holding and continued to cry.

 

“Please, just don’t tell anyone. If my mother finds out…” Cheryl sobbed out, trailing off at the thought of her mother knowing. “I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t have been looking at you like that. Please.” 

 

“I’m not gonna say anything to anyone, I promise,” Toni responded desperately, not exactly sure what she was agreeing to. “Just calm down and talk to me. Tell me how to help.” Cheryl was still crying as she moved to sit on the nearby bench. She was beginning to feel light headed and was struggling to hold herself up. Toni wasn’t far behind as she sat down next to Cheryl. She made sure to leave some space between them, not wanting to cause more stress to the other girl. The guilt she was already feeling at making Cheryl cry was painful.

 

“My mother will be upset if she finds out I’m having deviant thoughts again,” Cheryl mumbled out, trying to wipe tears from her eyes. “I was always so good at hiding them. This shouldn’t have happened.” Toni could feel her heart breaking for the other girl.

 

“Cheryl, your mother’s wrong,” Toni said, finally getting Cheryl to look her in the eyes. The girl looked exhausted, but still beautiful. “You’re not deviant for having feelings for girls.” The point blank statement made Cheryl suck in a breath of air. “And I’m sorry for making you upset, but I would never tell anyone anything you didn’t want me to.” Toni finished, ignoring the urge to reach out and comfort Cheryl. The girl was still crying silently but had been listening intently to Toni’s words.

 

“I thought you were confronting me and then you were gonna go and tell everyone what happened,” Cheryl explained. “Tell everyone that the emotional anorexic did have feelings, perverted ones.” Her mother had called her that recently, emotional anorexic, she found it ironic how untrue it was. Her mother only wanted her to have feelings if they were towards a boy. 

 

“I would never do that to you. Like I said, you should be able to love whoever you want. You, Cheryl, are capable of loving whoever you want. It’s no one’s decision besides yours,” Toni smiled softly, trying to be as genuine as possible. Cheryl just shook her head and looked down at her sneakers.

 

“Then why did you say those things to me? If you weren’t planning on gossiping with the others,” Cheryl asked in a quiet voice. Obviously this girl had been through a lot of emotional abuse in the past. Still, Toni didn’t understand how Cheryl didn’t know she was being hit on. However embarrassing it was gonna be for Toni to admit, she knew she had to.

 

“I was coming on to you,” Toni responded causing Cheryl’s head to lift back up. The redhead was looking at her with shock written all over her face. “Every interaction with you just made me want you more. I thought you were just playing hard to get.” Toni finished sheepishly as a light blush covered her cheeks. Looking back she probably shouldn't have come on so strongly. Hindsight is 20/20. 

 

“Wow.” Cheryl said still keeping her eyes locked on Toni’s. “I’ve never...no girl has ever said anything like that to me before.” This made Toni smile.

 

“Well, get used to it, bombshell. You’re hot, and any girl that plays for your team is gonna want in your pants,” Toni joked and it was Cheryl’s turn this time to blush. There was a moment of silence as Cheryl started to think about Toni’s words. Before she could stop herself she was blurting out her thoughts.

 

“We could still have sex,” Toni raised her eyebrows at Cheryl’s bold statement. The other girl blushed realizing how juvenile she sounded.

 

“Buy a girl dinner first, bombshell,” Toni jokingly answered. “What brought that on?” She added when Cheryl was still looking at her intently. 

 

“I don’t know, I just...you’re the only person who’s ever looked past my cold attitude. And you’re so confident in yourself and what you want,” Cheryl said in a low voice. She wasn’t used to complimenting people and being genuine. Toni continued smiling and reached out to gently hold Cheryl’s hand in her own. The other girl let out a quiet sigh at the contact.

 

“As much as I want to ravage you up against these lockers, I don’t think that’s the best idea right now,” Toni explained, causing Cheryl to blush and let out a laugh. “But, would you, Cheryl Bombshell, do the honors of going on a date with me? We can get milkshakes at Pop’s, no pressure if you don’t want to.”

 

“Yes, I want to,” Cheryl answered quickly. She scolded herself in her head for sounding so eager. It only made Toni smile wider at her.


	2. Ch. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story has a lot of elements from the show in it, but I'm really just picking and choosing. It doesn't follow the show's timeline and soon it won't really follow the show at all. Just wanted to make that clear. Thanks for reading!

Cheryl was freaking out. She was suppose to be studying for her Bio exam, but it was no use. All her thoughts were on the serpent she had separated with a few hours earlier. The gravity of the situation hitting her the more she thought about it. Toni had been trying to seduce her and then asked her on a date. And Cheryl had  _ agreed _ . Not only that, she let Toni see her cry. It’s like for those few minutes with Toni someone had possessed Cheryl’s body. She realized she was playing a dangerous game. The blissful bubble she had been in popped as soon as she walked through the doors of Thistle house. 

 

_ “What are you smiling about?” Her mother questioned. Cheryl hadn’t even seen her sitting in the foyer when she walked in.  _

 

_ “Nothing, mother. Just happy about being done with school for the day,” Cheryl answered and wiped the smile off her face. It was careless of her to let her mother see it in the first place. _

 

_ “How very lazy of you. Oh well, I’d expect nothing less from you. Don’t come out of your room tonight. I have a client coming over,” Penelope snarked before turning back to drink her wine. Cheryl had walked up the stairs without another word. _

 

That is what led to her spiraling into a panic instead of studying. Her and Toni hadn’t even agreed on an exact day for their date and Cheryl was already plotting how to cancel. She needed to go back to ignoring Toni. It would end badly for both of them if Cheryl continued on with this reckless behavior. Before they had parted ways Toni had slipped her a piece of paper with her number on it. At that moment she was thrilled to have that little piece of information. Now, it felt like it was burning her hand as she stared down at it. 

 

With shaky hands she grabbed her iphone off the bed next to her. After reluctantly saving the contact as ‘Toni Topaz’ she brought up imessage. Without giving herself a chance to talk herself out of it she typed out a text.

 

**This is Cheryl. I can’t go on a date with you. I’m sorry, please just leave me alone.**

 

Hitting send felt like someone knocking the wind out of her. She threw her phone to the side. Telling herself that she wouldn’t reply to whatever Toni texted back. There was nothing Cheryl wanted more than to drink milkshakes with Toni. To have a normal date with someone who she actually had wanted to spend time with. Any dates she had been on with guys in the past always ended in disappointment. They’d spend the night bragging to her about nonsense and then kiss her with their chapped lips. Toni’s lips looked soft. She had seen the girl applying lip gloss in the hallway at school once. 

 

She wanted to kiss Toni.

 

The thought made her feel nauseous the minute it popped into her head. She needed to get control of herself. Not just for herself, but Toni too. Her mother was capable of hurting both of them if she felt like it. Before she could dwell on it more, Cheryl felt her phone vibrate. She slowly picked it up and unlocked it. 

 

**Toni Topaz: If you truly want me to leave you alone then I will. I just don’t think that’s what you want.**

 

Cheryl made no move to respond to the text. She promised herself she wouldn’t. Toni was right, of course she was. That didn’t matter, though. What mattered was getting her emotions under control and keeping her mother happy. With those thoughts in her mind Cheryl grabbed her textbook and began studying again.

 

The next morning Cheryl awoke with a migraine. Everytime her alarm rang it felt like an axe was being dug into her skull. She reached for her phone and quickly turned it off. Her head felt like it was going explode as she slowly sat up in bed. During the night she hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep. Between thinking about Toni and the noises coming from her mother’s room, it was impossible. Nevertheless, she stood up from her bed and began preparing for school. She wouldn’t risk her GPA because of a silly headache. 

 

After brushing her teeth and popping some Advil she made her way back over to her phone. There were no texts from anyone. No texts from _ Toni _ . Maybe the girl had finally given up after Cheryl hadn’t responded to her last night. She couldn’t help the sinking feeling of disappointment. Shaking her head, she put her phone aside and continued getting dressed.

 

By the time she made it to Riverdale High there was still a few minutes before her first class. Luckily, she hadn’t seen any sign of Toni or any of the other serpents for that matter. It was ridiculous to her how aware of her surroundings she had become over the last few days. For instance, she spotted Veronica charging towards her from the otherside of the hallway. Cheryl rolled her eyes, not ready to deal with gossip this early in the morning.

 

“Hey, glad I could catch you before class started,” Veronica said, clearly out of breath. “Listen, Archie is having a house party tonight and of course you’re welcome to come. My old friend Nick from New York is in town and I want you to meet him.” The redhead already knew where this was going. Veronica loved playing match maker, especially with Cheryl. It was a challenge to her, a game.

 

“If you’re going to try and hook me up with your, most likely, subpar friend all night then count me out,” Cheryl retorted, feeling her migraine starting to make a comeback. It was Friday and she had been planning to spend the weekend alone at Thistle House. If she stayed in her room then she could avoid her mother and enjoy herself. 

 

“Come on, Cheryl. I honestly just want you guys to meet. I promise not to bother you for the rest of the night,” Veronica pleaded. It was a lie and Cheryl knew it. The minute Veronica had enough alcohol in her she’d be shoving the two of them together. Trying to be drunk cupid.

 

“I’ll think about it,” The redhead answered just as the warning bell rang. She grabbed her books and walked away from her locker, not sparing a second glance at Veronica. In the back of her mind she noted that Toni hadn’t texted her again and made no attempt to find her at school.

 

By the end of the school day Cheryl was confused more than anything. She hadn’t seen Toni and the girl wasn’t in the two classes they shared together. Actually, all the serpents seemed to be missing from classes and the hallway. It surprised her how strongly she felt the urge to text Toni and ask if everything was okay. She pushed it down as she grabbed her books to head home for the weekend. Veronica had continued to pester her at lunch about Archie’s party. At this point, she felt that she needed to go just to take her mind off things. Even if Veronica was going to try and pawn her off like a hunk of meat.

___________

 

By the time Cheryl arrived to Archie’s house the party was in full swing. After getting home from school she had taken her time getting ready and decided to show up fashionably late. Her mother luckily hadn’t been home as she slipped out the front door. Now, she was pushing her way through drunk Riverdale students. Some were laying around on the furniture while others were dancing like complete idiots. Cheryl could already feel the regret creeping up on her. She wanted to go home. Eventually, she spotted Veronica across the room talking to Archie and a boy she didn’t recognize. When she reached them Veronica’s face immediately lit up.

 

“Cheryl, glad you could make it! This is Nick, my old friend!” Veronica yelled over the blaring music, gesturing to Nick. The boy was handsome and wore a suit despite the casual tone of the party. He smiled and stuck out his hand for Cheryl to shake.

 

“Lovely to finally meet you. Veronica has told me a lot about you,” He explained, flashing a charming smile. If Cheryl had any interest in him she’d be swooning. Instead, she politely returned the handshake and smiled. 

 

“You as well,” Cheryl responded, faking her interest. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I’m gonna go get a drink from the bar.” Before Nick or Veronica could offer to go with her she was off. As she was making her way through the crowd she ran face first into Betty. The blonde looked upset and clearly didn’t want to be there.

 

“Hello, cousin Betty. Is there a reason you’re sulking in Andrew’s living room? You’re sucking the fun out of the room.” Cheryl’s words didn’t seem to upset Betty in the slightest. 

 

“It’s Jughead. He’s joining the serpents,” Betty answered bitterly while wringing her hands together. Cheryl had to strain to hear her over the noise of the party. “They’re probably sucker punching him as we speak. I just don’t understand.” Despite the fact that Jughead had grown up on the Northside, his dad was still the leader of the gang. Cheryl wasn’t surprised the boy had finally made the decision to join, regardless of the reason. She just wondered what drama this would lead to. 

 

“Like father, like son, I guess,” was all Cheryl offered before wandering away. She continued towards the bar as her thoughts turned to Toni. That’s why her and the serpents must have missed school today. So they could initiate beanie boy into their cult of a gang. Cheryl ignored the relief she was feeling at knowing Toni was safe. 

 

Before she had a chance to grab a cup from the messy table someone grabbed her arm. It startled her enough to twirl around quickly, only to be met with a smiling Nick. God, she really needed to leave this godforsaken party.

 

“Hey there, I saw that grumpy blonde holding you up so I figured I’d get you a drink. Just some light vodka and soda,” Nick said, handing the drink over to Cheryl. She smiled in thanks and took a sip before responding.

 

“Thanks, she’s having boyfriend troubles. I’m sure she’ll be over it by Monday,” Cheryl answered and rolled her eyes. That was a lie, though. The drama come Monday would be out of control. She just didn’t feel like explaining those things to Nick. 

 

“Ah, men are horrible,” He said jokingly as he raised his cup to cheers against hers. They both took a gulp before Cheryl laughed.

 

“Yeah, they really are.” Nick didn’t realize how true that statement actually was coming from Cheryl.

 

“So, does this mean that you are currently..single?” Nick asked coyly. Cheryl knew that question was coming before Nick even asked it. She also figured that he already knew the answer. Veronica had most likely given him the same speech before the party. 

 

“Luckily for you, I am,” Cheryl flirted back. She didn’t know why she was even bothering to flirt with Nick. It would only lead to him shoving his tongue down her throat. Then, when his hands would try and stray away from her waist, she’d push him off. It was her routine, an unpleasant one. He had a flirty response ready before his attention turned to behind Cheryl.

 

“Woah, who invited the hobo squad?” Nick said, letting out a laugh at his own joke. Cheryl was confused until she turned around and saw serpents. She noticed Toni first, the pink haired girl sporting her jacket proudly. Behind her was two taller boys, both with bored expressions on their faces. Cheryl had seen the three of them hang around school together before. Lastly, there was Jughead. His face was battered and bloodied. She took notice of the serpents’ jacket around his small frame. In that moment she could feel the pride radiating off of him. 

 

Everyone that wasn’t completely hammered was staring at the four of them. They all ignored the stares and continued into the party. Then suddenly, as if out of thin air, Archie appeared in front of them looking shocked and angry. Jughead and him clearly hadn’t talked about this. Betty was nowhere to be seen, which was probably for the best. 

 

As much as Cheryl wanted to see what was going to happen she felt a lurch in her stomach. She looked back to where Archie and Jughead were having a heated conversation. It almost felt like she was watching this unfold through a movie screen. As her stomach lurched again, she suddenly felt dizzy. It confused her because she only had a few sips of her drink. She shouldn’t be feeling drunk. 

 

_ “Archie, you invited me to this party.” _

 

_ “That was before you decided to do whatever the hell this is.” _

 

The two boys were getting more heated as other Bulldogs gathered behind Archie. Cheryl took notice of how Toni stood her ground, not looking afraid in the slightest. The girl was tiny, but obviously tough. It made Cheryl swallow hard, thinking of the times when that intense stare was directed at her. As if sensing Cheryl’s eyes watching her she turned her head. Toni had an unreadable expression on her face as they made eye contact. Cheryl felt her breath catch, the fact that she was feeling drunk was not helping. 

 

_ “I’m one of them now, Archie! Don’t you see that this feud is stupid?” _

 

Jughead’s outburst caused Toni to look away from Cheryl reluctantly. The redhead felt Nick laugh from somewhere behind her. He sounded miles away. She turned around to look at him and the motion made her nauseous. He met her eyes and smirked lightly.

 

“This is really really entertaining,” Nick said, gesturing to the stand off behind Cheryl. She could barely focus on what he was saying as she shook her head to clear it. It only made the dizziness and nauseous worse. “Are you alright? You look like you need some air.” Nick grabbed her arm and started gently pulling her away from the crowd. 

 

_ “I’m not going to let you guys fight each other! Not like this!”  _

 

Cousin Betty’s voice was the last thing she heard as Nick began pulling her towards the stairs. She couldn’t focus on where they were going as Nick basically dragged her up. At the top of the steps Cheryl rested herself on the banister, not able to hold her own weight. She felt Nick begin to try and move her again, but heard a voice.  _ Toni’s _ voice.

 

“You have three seconds to get your hands off of her,” Toni spit out angrily, her rage not hidden at all. Cheryl couldn’t see what was happening. It felt like to much of a challenge to open her eyes. Nonetheless, she felt Nick let go of her waist.

 

“Who the hell are you? Why don’t you piss off and mind your own business,” Nick retorted. It made Cheryl shudder in fear at how his voice had changed. He no longer sounded like the charming boy she had first met. 

 

“I hate to break it to ya, but she is my business,” Toni answered, not backing down in the slightest. Cheryl was drifting in and out of consciousness, unable to open her mouth. “And my friends downstairs wouldn’t like it very much if they knew what you were planning up here. So I suggest…” There were footsteps and voices coming up the stairs. The sudden fear made Cheryl a bit more coherent.

 

“Um excuse me, you can’t just bust into my boyfriend’s house and...what’s going on? Nick?” It was Veronica’s voice and most likely Toni’s friends. Cheryl felt her mind slipping as she fully hunched over the railing. Knowing that she’d be safe with all these people surrounding her. Toni’s voice was the last she heard as she finally succumbed to the darkness. 

 

“You’re a dead man, Nick.”


	3. Ch. 3

Cheryl awoke to the feeling of fingers running through her hair. It felt good and she was reluctant to open her eyes. Especially, when the person started scratching her scalp gently. It only went on for a few more seconds before Cheryl’s eyes flew open in fear. Everything that had happened the night before came rushing back. She did her best to manavur away from the person and immediately began looking for an exit. Before she could flee she turned her head and was met with Toni, who was staring at her with wide eyes.

 

“It’s alright, Cheryl. It’s just me, he’s not here. I didn’t let him hurt you,” Toni said reassuringly. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed in the same outfit as the night before. “We’re in one of Archie’s spare bedrooms.” Toni added when she noticed Cheryl still glancing around. Cheryl nodded and slowly sat back down on the bed again. She didn’t have the guts to fully face Toni.

 

“What...what happened last night?” Cheryl asked quietly. She remembered the basics. Suddenly feeling drunk, being dragged up the steps, Veronica yelling. Until it eventually goes completely blank.

 

“I showed up to the party to back Jughead up. He wanted to confront Andrews about being a serpent. Sweet Pea and Fangs came, too. They thought the Bulldogs would immediately turn it into a brawl. It almost was until Betty stepped in,” Toni explained and shook her head before continuing. “When I noticed you I could tell something was off. You looked lost. It was when I glanced over again and you were gone that I took off after you.” 

 

“Then what?” Cheryl mumbled out. In her mind, she knew that Nick hadn’t managed to actually touch her. It still didn’t make her feel any better about the situation.

 

“When I finally found you and Nick at the top of the stairs, I was furious. They way he just tried to brush me off I....” Toni trailed off, feeling her anger towards the boy coming back. When she looked into Cheryl’s eyes she knew she needed to calm down. Getting angry would only upset her more. “Before I could do anything Sweets and Fangs showed up with Veronica. She realized what was going on and told us to make him pay. So, we did.” Toni smiled a little at that. Remembering how Veronica didn’t hesitate to jump into the fight. Cheryl was concerned at Toni’s words.

 

“Y-you didn’t kill him, did you?” Toni shook her head at Cheryl’s words. The girl was clearly worried about what a murder would mean for them. Riverdale was a screwed up place where the bad guys often won.

 

“No, I wanted to, though. Fangs had to pull me off of him. I wouldn’t stop swinging,” Toni finished, looking down at her knuckles. There was blood from Nick’s face and her own wounds. Her shirt also had his blood on it, but she kept her serpent jacket on to hide it. Cheryl tentatively reached out to grab Toni’s hand and hold it lightly in her own. It was so gentle that Toni couldn’t feel the pressure of Cheryl’s hand, only the warmth. 

 

“Thank you for saving me. I-I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t shown up,” Cheryl said, staring down at their joined hands. 

 

“Of course, I’m just extremely glad I was there,” Toni began moving her thumb across Cheryl’s knuckles as she spoke. The redhead didn’t respond to taken by the way Toni was caressing her hand. It reminded her of when she first had woken up and Toni had been playing with her hair. Everything the other girl did made her feel cared for. She didn’t want Toni to ever stop touching her. 

 

Unfortunately, an interruption came a minute later in the form of Archie peeking his head into the doorway. Cheryl had instinctively pulled her hand out of Toni’s and put them both in her lap. The boy looked between both of them with a light smile on his face. There was obviously sympathy in his eyes as he looked at Cheryl for a second too long. It was clear that Veronica had filled him in on what happened last night. He might have even gotten involved as far as Cheryl knew.

 

“Hey guys, if you want there’s breakfast downstairs. The others are attacking it like starved animals so I’d hurry if you want some,” As quick as he had gotten the words out he was gone again. Cheryl turned towards Toni for an explanation. The serpent just shrugged her shoulders slightly.

 

“Don’t look at me, I stayed in here with you all night to make sure you were okay. All I know is that Sweet Pea and Fangs left after dragging Nick outside,” Toni responded, flinching when she had to bring that horrible person’s name up again. 

 

“It’s most likely the Scooby gang,” Cheryl stated and Toni let out a laugh at the nickname. The laugh had made Cheryl’s breath catch in her throat. It was beautiful. “We should go down before they send Archie back up here with his pity eyes.” Cheryl stood up slowly and Toni followed her lead. They both silently made their way downstairs and into the kitchen. When they entered the room all four pairs of eyes were on them. Archie and Veronica were on one side of the table while Jughead and Betty sat opposite of them. Veronica was the first to speak up, looking at Cheryl guiltily.

 

“Hey Cher, glad to see you’re awake. Um, there’s pancakes,” Veronica finished lamely, gesturing to the table. It was clear that she had no idea what to say to the redhead. Nick had been her friend and she had been the one to push them together. Eventually, Cheryl knew she would have to talk to Veronica alone. To let her know that she didn’t blame her for anything that happened.  For now, there was no time for that.

 

“Thanks, Ronnie. I’m starved,” Cheryl answered. She hoped that using Veronica’s nickname would calm the girl down. It seemed to work as she sat down and was handed a plate full of pancakes.

 

The breakfast that followed was extremely awkward and consisted of Archie and Betty ignoring Jughead. Veronica attempted, unsuccessfully, to fill the silence. Cheryl had never been more relieved when they all had finally began parting ways. Before she could even question what was happening her and Toni ended up in her car. Jughead had driven the girl here and she was reluctant to leave Cheryl alone. So she got into the passenger's seat, ignoring Cheryl’s raised eyebrow.

 

“Listen, I know you’re freaked out after what happened. But, you should go with Jughead,” Cheryl stated after realizing the other girl was avoiding eye contact with her. Toni made no move to get out of the car and finally looked over at the redhead. It wasn’t until Jughead’s car drove past that Toni spoke up.

 

“That text you sent me. I know you don’t want me out of your life. Please, stop pushing me away,” Toni begged as Cheryl dropped her gaze to Toni’s bloody knuckles. Cheryl shook her head and shoved her keys into the ignition. Starting the car and pulling out of the driveway without another word. She didn’t really think about where she was driving as Toni stayed silent next to her. It was another five minutes until Cheryl pulled the car to a stop in front of Sweetwater River. Of course she had ended up here. She didn’t realize how hard she had been gripping the steering wheel until she let go to turn the engine off.

 

“You’re making it impossible for me to push you way,” Cheryl whispered, looking out at the water that was only slightly frozen. She’d come here a lot after Jason had died. It was always with the intent to end her life. Something always stopped her, though. A small voice in the back of her head telling her to go home. She’d like to believe it was Jason’s spirit. 

 

“Then stop trying. I want to be in your life in any form. I don’t care if you can’t be with me, let me be your friend then,” Toni explained even though it hurt to say. She was starting to really care about the redhead. Cheryl let out a laugh that didn’t hold any actual humor.

 

“The fact that you think I could be your friend without driving myself crazy is absurd. It’d only be a matter of time before I slipped up and did something  _ deviant _ ,” Cheryl added a mocking tone to the word ‘deviant’, mimicking her mother. She didn’t know if she believed in that word anymore. She hated her. Toni knew that she was referring to her mother. It made her upset as she turned fully to face the redhead. It was an awkward angle in the car, but she made it work.

 

“Cheryl, your mom can go fuck herself,” Toni said with such authority in her voice that it made Cheryl twitch. “If you did anything your mother considered ‘deviant’ to me, I sure as hell wouldn’t stop you.” Toni knew she was starting to get a little careless with her words. She didn’t care, though, and she wouldn’t stop until Cheryl understood. The redhead sat, tense as ever, while staring at the wheel. Toni knew she was listening, though.

 

“But my mother…”

 

“Fuck her,” Toni interrupted before Cheryl could begin spiraling again. “She can’t control you forever. And I’ll help you until you’re free from her. You need to start thinking about what  _ you _ want. Because I want you and I know you want me back.” There was silence as Toni’s words began sinking in between them. Eventually, Cheryl looked back to Toni and released her death grip on the wheel.

 

“I want you, too.” Cheryl’s words were a quiet whisper between them. Toni heard them loud and clear, though. The serpent couldn’t stop herself as she slowly climbed over the divider between seats. She kept eye contact with Cheryl as she lowered herself until she was straddling her. When the redhead made no sounds of protests Toni smiled at her. It took a minute, Cheryl taking shaky breaths, before she wrapped her arms around Toni’s waist. She moved her head under Toni’s chin not long after. Toni responded by moving her arms to Cheryl’s neck so she could scratch the girl’s scalp. 

 

Cheryl didn’t realize how touch starved she truly was until this moment. The amount of emotions she was feeling from just holding the other girl was baffling. She felt safe, warm, content, and aroused. The way Toni had climbed over the seat to be with her. The intense eye contact. The way she was gentle enough to not tangle her hair. It was an overload, but Cheryl never wanted it to stop. 

 

They stayed like that for over an hour, neither one of them speaking. What finally broke the silence was Toni’s phone going off in her back pocket. She reluctantly pulled back from Cheryl while letting out a groan of annoyance. The noise instantly affected Cheryl as she unconsciously tightened her hold on Toni’s waist. After realizing what she did she blushed brightly. Toni smirked down at her as she reached back to grab her phone.

 

“Did you like that, Bombshell?” Toni teased before looking down at her phone to see Fangs’ contact name. The boy was probably just checking in after last night. With that thought in mind she threw her phone to the passenger seat. This made Cheryl raise her eyebrow.

 

“Remind me to never try and call you, Topaz,” Cheryl snarked, sounding like her old self again. This time her words had no malice behind them, though. Toni shrugged her shoulders before wrapping her arms back around Cheryl. 

 

“I’d answer if it was you,” Toni whispered. She had meant it in a playful way but softened when she saw how Cheryl was now looking at her. The other girl wasn’t use to knowing that she was wanted. Toni couldn’t stand it anymore and slowly started to lean in. She stopped just short of Cheryl’s lips and rested their foreheads together. It was important to her that she didn’t try and move too quickly for the other girl. She wanted Cheryl to be comfortable. 

 

“Can I kiss you?” Cheryl’s whispered request didn’t surprise her.

 

“Yeah.” Toni’s consent was all it took for Cheryl to quickly connect their lips. Neither made an attempt to start moving. Just resting their lips against each other lightly. Cheryl’s first thought was that Toni had the softest lips she’d ever felt. Secondly, she could feel her heart hammering in her chest. It was Toni who started to move her lips first, not being able to stay still any longer. Cheryl followed her lead as she tilted her head to get a better angle. Their lips moved together lazily for awhile. Neither of them attempting anything more. 

 

Toni began playing with the wisps of Cheryl’s hair on the back of her neck. While Cheryl tightened her hold on the smaller girl again. This time moving so her hands were under the leather jacket she wore. Before Cheryl could figure out her next move Toni’s phone began ringing again. The smaller girl sadly disconnected their lips and rested their foreheads together. They were both out of breath.

 

“I’m going to murder Fangs,” Toni mumbled, finally opening her eyes. Cheryl was already looking at her with a glazed over expression. The redhead smiled at her, which caused Toni to glance down to her lips. She wanted nothing more than to connect them again. Cheryl spoke before she could. 

 

“You should at least text him. In case you’ve forgotten you’re in a gang. The possibilities of what you could be doing in your free time are endless.” Cheryl’s voice had taken on a certain raspiness when she spoke. It made Toni bite her lower lip when she heard it. Cheryl noticed it as she glanced down at her lips. Thoughts of the phone were forgotten as Toni began to lean back in. The loud ringing started again almost immediately and Toni pulled back to angrily reach across the seat. Cheryl watched on in amusement as Toni finally answered the call from her best friend.

 

“What,” Toni said angrily into the phone. Cheryl found it funny that the other girl was still straddling her. Also, kinda hot. The kiss was still playing on a loop in the back of her mind. Toni rolled her eyes at whatever the boy was saying. “Whatever, look, the next time you wanna blow up my phone to play video games. Don’t.” She was silent again as she looked back to Cheryl. The other girl was staring at her with a raised eyebrow. Toni couldn’t help but lean in and plant a quick kiss on her lips. When she pulled back she scoffed in disbelief. “No, I’m not kissing anyone. How did you even recognize..shut up. Goodbye, you heathen, I’ll be back to Sunnyside soon.” Toni threw her phone back to the passenger seat as soon as she hung up.

 

“I like your friends,” Cheryl said even as Toni shook her head in annoyance. She knew that the other girl wasn’t truly angry at Fangs. Also, Cheryl wanted to thank him eventually for saving her last night.

 

“I like kissing you,” Toni responded and began leaning in again. Cheryl moved her hand up to Toni’s lips to stop her. As much as Cheryl wanted to stay at Sweetwater all day with Toni she had to go home. Her mother would be suspicious already since she hadn’t been home the night before.  

 

“Easy there, Romeo. My mother will be suspicious if I don’t return home soon,” Cheryl stated with the disappointment clear in her voice. Toni nodded and slowly maneuvered off Cheryl and back into the passenger seat. She let out a sigh and turned to look at the redhead.

 

“Why must everyone cockblock us. This is truly a tragedy,” Toni complained as she put her seatbelt back on. Cheryl laughed at the term and started the car. It also made her remember that in the future she could potentially have sex with Toni. Her body started to warm up just at the thought of it. 

 

As Cheryl drove Toni played with the radio and occasionally gave directions. It was surprising to Cheryl how comfortable around the other girl she was. There was no panic about the fact that they had just been kissing or any awkward silence. Being around Toni felt easy, it was a breath of fresh air for Cheryl. When they finally pulled up to Sunnyside trailer park Cheryl was sad her time with Toni was finished.

 

“Please remember to give your uber driver five stars. You’re ratings help us,” Cheryl jokingly said in a formal voice. Toni laughed and unbuckled her seatbelt.

 

“I could do that, or I could show my appreciation in  _ other _ ways,” Toni joked back in a seductive voice. Despite trying to stop herself Cheryl felt her cheeks heating up. “You’re cute when you blush.” 

 

“Alright, Topaz, get out of my car,” Cheryl stated and couldn’t keep the smile off of her face. She felt herself leaning across the divider before she could stop herself. Toni met her halfway as their lips connected. It was a short kiss as Cheryl pulled back first. “Now, go.”

 

“Text me when you get home, bombshell.” Was all Toni said before exiting the car quickly. Cheryl smiled as she turned the car on and started pulling away. She could see Toni watching her through the rearview mirror the whole time. The drive back to Thistle house was short and Cheryl kept the radio off. Her brain was filled with thoughts of the serpent girl. How she had saved her from Nick, pleaded with her to stop pushing her away, and the kissing. It all felt surreal. Toni hadn’t given up and left like everyone else in her life.

 

When she pulled into the driveway, her home gave her a renewed sense of dread. Just because she had finally given into her attraction to Toni didn’t mean the situation was safe. Penelope seemed almost psychic. The way she could pick up on changes with Cheryl and call her out on it. She turned her car off and quickly walked up the driveway. When she walked through the front door she was pleasantly surprised that her mother wasn’t around. It was quiet in the house until Cheryl reached the top of the grand staircase. There was obvious moaning coming from her mothers room at the other end of the hallway. Cheryl rolled her eyes, but quickly made her way into the room. After quietly closing the door behind her she let out a relieved sigh.

 

Any crisis was avoided for now. Hopefully her mother hadn’t even realized she had been gone. The weekends were always busy with clients. Men who spend all week trying to become rich. Only to spend their weekends using that money to pay her mother. It was pathetic. Cheryl shook those thoughts out of her head and moved to sit down on her bed. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through instagram. Her immediate instinct was to text Toni. The girl had told her too, after all. But she didn’t want to come off as desperate or needy. So she waited a couple extra minutes before opening imessage.

 

**I’m home, mother was distracted so I might be in the clear.**

 

It felt good to talk to someone about her mother. Everyone else knew Penelope Blossom was a nightmare and to stay away from her. So nobody ever wanted to know how Cheryl was dealing with her. She knew Toni cared. It was the reason she had ask Cheryl to text her in the first place. Toni wasn’t scared of her mother. 

 

**Toni Topaz: Good, if she ever gives u trouble just let me know. I don’t know if you know this but I’m in a gang.**

 

Cheryl smiled at Toni’s message. She also took note that Toni’s name was still saved in full. A quick trip to settings and she added just the girl’s first name. It felt freeing. 

 

**Oh my god you’re in a gang??? I had no idea. That’s really dangerous!**

 

Cheryl’s phone vibrated almost immediately after she had sent the text. It felt good knowing that Toni maybe wanted to talk to her just as much.

 

**Toni: I think what you meant to say was ‘really hot’. I look good in leather.**

 

**Careful, Topaz. You’re starting to sound awfully egotistical there.**

 

**Toni: U like it…**

 

**Yeah, I do;)**


	4. Ch. 4

Sunday morning breakfast was mandatory in the Blossom household. Cheryl assumed her mother did it just to terrorize her. It usually ended in them arguing or Penelope scolding her. So when she woke up that morning she was reluctant to get out of bed. She was still unsure if her mother had noticed her absence Saturday night. If she did, Cheryl knew that would become the topic of conversation. She could already hear the maid moving around in the kitchen. Which meant her mom was already awake. 

 

Once Cheryl threw a robe on she made her way down the stairwell. When she walked into the kitchen her mother was immediately glaring at her. The maid ignored both of them as she continued to cook; long ago learning not upset Penelope Blossom. Cheryl sat down quietly at the table, holding her mother’s gaze.

 

“Good morning, mother.” There was no emotion in Cheryl’s voice. It was always like this.

 

“I’m surprised that you joined me considering you’ve been missing all weekend,” Penelope scolded as the maid set coffee on the table.

 

“I’m sorry, Veronica threw a get together at her home,” Cheryl lied easily. “Her friend was in town and she wanted me to meet him.” This seemed to peek Penelope’s interest as she sat up straighter. She took a sip of coffee before answering her daughter. Everything was a power play to her.

 

“Did you think he was acceptable?” Penelope pushed on as the maid began placing more items on the table. Cheryl was glad that the food was almost ready. It meant she could eat instead of talking to her mother.

 

“Yes, he was very charming and from New York. He wore a suit while others wore casual attire. Classy.” Cheryl’s stomach turned at this lie. Nick was anything but charming. She just needed to lie to her mother so that Toni would stay safe. If she had told her mother what had really happen this weekend she’d be doomed. Images of Toni straddling her flashed quickly through her mind.

 

“That’s good. You should attempt to see him again. Perhaps tomorrow,” She added as an afterthought. This made Cheryl look up from her plate in confusion.

 

“Why tomorrow?” Cheryl questioned as she scooped eggs onto her dish. Her mother continued to drink her coffee, not making any attempts to eat. 

 

“I have a client that needs me to attend an event with him. I won’t be home until late and you are not to leave the house,” Penelope sternly said. “You may invite Nick over, though.  _ Only _ Nick. If I find out anyone else was here you won’t want those consequences.” Cheryl had to try really hard to contain her excitement. She was going to have a chance to be alone without the fear of her mother looming over head. 

 

“Of course, mother.” Cheryl began shoveling eggs into her mouth to keep from saying anything more.

After finishing the interrogation with her mother Cheryl spent the rest of the day in Thistle house. She knew it wouldn’t be best to leave since her mother had known she was gone Saturday. Luckily, the talk of Nick seemed to have helped smooth things over for now. She couldn’t believe her mother was going to allow her to invite a boy over. The woman was that desperate to have Cheryl around men. Maybe she could invite Toni over. It would be risky, but she was desperate to spend more time with the other girl. Cheryl didn’t text Toni about it. Deciding to wait till tomorrow to talk to her about it.

__________

 

The next morning it didn’t take long for Toni to find Cheryl at school before classes started. Cheryl had been a bit worried about their first encounter. She was slightly concerned the girl would ignore her. Regardless of the fact they had been texting all day before. So when Toni approached her, looking tired but happy, she was relieved. She gave her own smile while closing her locker.

 

“I’m glad to see your mom hasn’t killed you,” Toni jokingly stated. She paused to look at Cheryl up and down with raised eyebrows. “And you’re looking exceptionally beautiful this Monday morning.” The compliment made Cheryl roll her eyes. Although she was secretly happy that she had taken extra care of her appearance choices this morning. Toni’s outfit, Cheryl took note, was also extremely distracting. The crop-top had Cheryl trying and failing to not stare at the girl’s tone stomach.

 

“You’re not looking too bad yourself,” Cheryl complimented and Toni smirked at her. She knew there was only a couple seconds until the warning bell would ring. It was now or never to ask Toni if she’d want to come to Thistle house later. And she  _ really _ wanted her to say yes. “Hey, um, so I found out yesterday that my mother has some business to attend to tonight. She won’t be home until late.” Cheryl paused, not knowing how to go about asking Toni to come over. The other girl seemed to catch on and smirked.

 

“Is Cheryl Blossom asking me to hangout without parental supervision?” Toni asked, pretending to be shocked. “How scandalous.” Just as she finished talking the warning bell rang out. Toni quickly glanced around before putting her lips against Cheryl’s ear and whispered, “Text me a time and I’ll be there.” She placed a kiss on Cheryl’s cheek and was off down the hallway in a flash. The redhead stood shell shocked until a grin broke out on to her face. Not caring in the slightest if she was late for her first class.

 

By the end of the day Cheryl was a ball of nervous energy. She had only seen Toni again during the two classes they shared. During which the girls had been glancing at each other the whole time. Unable to focus on anything besides the other. Veronica took notice of them, but only smiled and kept it to herself. Cheryl knew she wouldn’t be seeing Toni right away. Her mother wouldn’t be leaving until later in the night. It didn’t stop Cheryl from getting tense. All she wanted was to be alone with Toni, uninterrupted.

 

Once Cheryl arrived home from school her mother took an eternity to leave. The woman took as long as Cheryl to get ready to go anywhere. It was probably the only thing they had in common. Cheryl assumed this client was spending good money for her mother to agree. By the time she left Cheryl had imessage up immediately.

 

**You can come over whenever you’re ready. My mother just left.**

 

Cheryl sent the text to Toni and ignored the urge to add ‘if you still want to’. It was hard to remember that Toni wanted to willingly hangout with her. 

 

**Toni: I’ll be there asap.**

 

Instead of sitting on her bed and allowing her nerves to take over Cheryl stood up. She started cleaning her already pristine room to take her mind off things. It wasn’t long until she heard the sound of a motorcycle coming up the driveway. It was amazing to Cheryl that Toni rode around on such a death trap. As she made her way to the bottom of the stairwell there was a knock on the door. Cheryl smiled as she made her way over and opened it. Toni stood there, clad in her signature serpent jacket, smiling.

 

“I have to say I was a bit worried that when this door opened it’d be your mom,” Toni explained and gestured to the doorframe. It was an understandable fear. Her mother was almost always at Thistle house. “Luckily, it’s you so now I can do this.” Toni leaned in and placed her lips gently on Cheryl’s. It was supposed to be a short kiss until Toni wrapped her arms around Cheryl’s neck. They kissed with the same intensity as when they were in the car at Sweetwater. Toni was the first to pull back. The slight breeze she felt reminding her that the door was still wide open. She untangled herself from a clearly flustered Cheryl to close it. When she turned back around Cheryl was looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

 

“That was some greeting there, Topaz.” The shorter girl just shrugged innocently at her words. She was preoccupied with looking around at the large foyer. It was bigger than the trailer she lived in and was only one room of the house. 

 

“Doing that was all I could think about all day at school. I had to act on my impulses so I could have a proper conversation with you,” Toni admitted, not embarrassed by her confession in the slightest. It surprised Cheryl how easily this girl could be open about her feelings. 

“How do you do that?” Cheryl blurted out before she could tell herself not to. 

 

“Do what?” Toni answered and tilted her head in confusion. They were both still standing in front of the door. Cheryl scolded herself mentally for not even showing Toni around yet.

 

“Be so...open with your feelings,” Cheryl explained. Toni smiled and moved closer to the other girl. 

 

“It takes time. I wasn’t always so sure of myself. Eventually you’ll get there, too. You just have to let yourself be vulnerable,” Toni finished and reached out to hold Cheryl’s hand. They smiled at each other until Toni began looking around again. “Now, show me around this gigantic house. It’s crazy in here.” Cheryl laughed and pulled Toni with her to start the tour in the living room. 

 

They’re hands stayed joined together throughout the tour. Toni was shocked by everything she saw. Not used to the fact that this is how most Northsiders lived. It was extremely different than the trailer parks and rundown houses on the Southside. Cheryl deserved to live in a big house like this, though, Toni thought. She put up with so much horrible stuff in her life. Her living conditions shouldn’t be another problem. Her mother obviously made this place more of a house than a comfortable home. 

 

The last place Cheryl brought Toni to was her room. It was the only part of the house that looked lived in. It was still extravagant but more cozy looking than anything. Toni finally let go of Cheryl’s hand to look around. The redhead was nervous to show her room to the serpent. It was clean and her bed was made, but there were also pictures of Jason. Along with a lot of other little things that made Cheryl feel vulnerable.

 

“I gotta say this room is my favorite part of the house. And that’s not just because of the person who sleeps here,” Toni said, turning back to Cheryl and winking. They were both standing a few feet apart at the foot of the large bed.

 

“I agree, I spend most of my time here when I’m home,” Cheryl explained, glancing around her own room. She was finding it difficult to hold eye contact with Toni. The fact that they were alone continuously creeping up in her mind. Toni seemed to have no hesitation as she kicked off her sneakers and took off her jacket. Then, climbed onto Cheryl’s bed until she was sitting up against the headboard.

 

“Come on, time to ‘Netflix and chill’.” Toni patted the spot next to her while reaching for Cheryl’s laptop. It had been sitting on the bed getting charged. Cheryl rolled her eyes but moved to sit next to Toni. She kept some space between them not wanting to overstep any boundaries.

 

“Please never use that awful slang again,” Cheryl jokingly scolded. As she grabbed her laptop from Toni she couldn’t help but shudder when their fingers brushed. She did her best to ignore the feeling as she opened the laptop and pulled up Netflix.

 

“It’s the perfect term to use. You need to do the ‘chilling’ because your mom has left for once. And I want to watch the new Tremors movie they just added today. Netflix and chill,” Toni finished, shrugging her shoulders. Cheryl placed the laptop in between them so they both could see it. Toni quickly typing in and clicking on the movie she wanted to watch. 

 

“I can’t believe I’m hanging out with you,” Cheryl exasperatedly joked.

 

“Shh, it’s starting.” Cheryl’s comeback to Toni’s words died on her lips as Toni scooted closer to her. She reached out to grab Cheryl’s hand, interlocking their fingers. Her head rested against the other girl’s shoulder gently. It was peaceful and both stayed quite as the movie started. Cheryl had never  _ cuddled _ with anyone before. Sure, she had sat on the occasional lap or a guy had put his arm around her. Nothing like this, though. The guys in her past had always been doing as a way to try and get into her pants. There was no pressure of that here. With that thought, Cheryl let her body relax more and rested her head atop Toni’s.

 

Thirty minutes into the movie later and both girls were practically on top of each other. It had started off with Toni rubbing her thumb across Cheryl’s knuckles. The redhead couldn’t seem to focus on the movie after that. No matter how hard she tried. They both spent the next ten minutes unconsciously inching closer to each other. They had eventually gotten so close that Cheryl had to put her arm around Toni so it wasn’t awkwardly being squished. The smaller girl took that chance to mold herself into Cheryl’s side. Their legs would’ve been tangled together as well if the laptop wasn’t resting on them. 

 

Cheryl was fighting the urge to turn her head and connect her lips to Toni’s. The other girl was still watching the movie intently and she didn’t want to interrupt that. So she went back to staring blankly at the movie and enjoying having Toni wrapped around her. It was only a couple seconds later when she felt Toni shift against her. She assumed the other girl was just getting comfortable until she felt lips press to her neck. It was startling and Cheryl couldn’t stop the quiet whine she let out. This only seemed to spur the other girl on more as she continued to leave open mouth kisses. Cheryl closed her eyes, the movie completely forgotten now. 

 

It wasn’t until Toni’s tongue touched her neck for a brief second that Cheryl gave in. She turned her head and met the other girl’s lips with fervor. This kiss was different from the others. Cheryl took charge and hesitantly let her tongue graze Toni’s lower lip. The smaller girl immediately opened her mouth so their tongues could meet. Cheryl felt her head go fuzzy at the feeling of Toni’s tongue in her mouth. It was warm and wet and better than any kiss Cheryl ever experienced. The kiss had slowed down once again as both girls explored each other’s mouths. Both of them taking turns being in charge. 

 

Cheryl moved her hand from Toni’s in favor of gripping her waist instead. When Cheryl let go of her hand she held Cheryl’s shirt tightly in her fist. Trying to pull the other girl as close as possible. The laptop between on their legs preventing them from getting closer. As Cheryl pulled back to push the laptop aside Toni latched onto her neck. Instead of kissing her this time she was sucking in different spots. It wasn’t enough to leave a mark and she used to her tongue to calm the spot afterwards. Cheryl’s breathing was coming out in loud bursts. Her hand, that was gonna move the laptop, was now resting on Toni’s thigh. She unconsciously squeezed anytime Toni hit a particularly sensitive spot. It wasn’t until Toni sucked at a particular spot behind her ear that she let out a groan. She pulled back to stare in Cheryl’s eyes, the girl’s pupils were blown.

 

“Jesus, Cheryl.” Toni’s voice was low and husky. It spurred Cheryl on to finally push the laptop aside. The movie was still playing but it was long forgotten at this point. She quickly manoeuvred so she was straddling Toni’s lap and reconnected their lips. Their tongues met again and Cheryl buried her fingers in the other girl’s hair. Her whole body felt like it was heating up the more she kissed Toni. The other girl knew everything to do to make Cheryl squirm. Without thinking about her actions Cheryl rolled her hips into Toni’s. It caused both of them to let out a moan into each other’s mouths. After the initial shock Cheryl pulled back in embarrassment.

 

“Sorry if that was too...eager of me,” Cheryl whispered, looking down at Toni’s lap. The other girl sighed and squeezed her hips lightly. It was meant as a calming gesture, but Cheryl still felt her insides jolt.

 

“You don’t have to apologize for being turned on.” Toni was slightly smiling at her now. Still squeezing her hips every few seconds. “I  _ like _ that you’re eager. It’s sexy.” This statement caused Cheryl to bite her lower lip. Toni sighed at this and couldn’t help but lean in to kiss her. Cheryl accepted the kiss hungrily. She could feel Toni shifting around beneath her. Before she knew it one of Toni legs was between hers. Meanwhile, her knee was pressed up against Toni’s center. Their heated kiss continued as Toni pulled on Cheryl’s waist. The redhead soon got the hint that Toni wanted her to move. Like the way she had done before. She hesitated and then gave in to Toni’s insistent pulling.

 

The new position of their legs made the motion feel ten times better than the first time. Toni shuddered underneath her and Cheryl felt more aroused knowing Toni was too. It made Cheryl grind down harder and pick up a consistent rhythm. She knew her underwear was probably soaked but she couldn’t find it in her to care. There was an intense feeling in her lower stomach starting to build. It caused her to break the kiss and drop her forehead onto Toni’s shoulder. She didn’t know which moans were coming from who. 

 

“Feel good?” Toni mumbled into her ear in a breathy voice. Cheryl could only nod as she held onto Toni’s shirt tightly. The pace had increased and they were now both meeting each other halfway. The redhead knew she had to stop this before she embarrassed herself. She wasn’t going to finish in her pants like a pubescent schoolboy. As if sensing that Cheryl was going to try and pull away Toni spoke up again. “Are you gonna be a good girl and cum for me?” That statement caused all thoughts of stopping to fly out of Cheryl’s head. She let out a loud whine and, after a few more thrusts, gave into the feelings.

 

“Fuck, Toni…” Before she could say anything else her orgasm was pulsing through her. It was intense and Toni continued grinding to work her through it. A couple seconds later Cheryl slumped against Toni. She felt a little embarrassed but too relaxed to really care. Toni moved her hands to rub up and down Cheryl’s back gently. After her heart rate had calmed down she glanced up at Toni. The other girl was already looking down at her softly.

 

“You okay with what we just did?” Toni questioned, wanting to make sure the other girl wasn’t upset. Cheryl nodded and leaned up to connect their lips gently. When she pulled back she rested her head back down on Toni’s chest.

 

“That was...” Cheryl couldn’t find the words. She felt like she needed to explain herself to Toni. Why it was so intense for her. It was something that she’d never told anyone before. “I’ve never, um, masturbated before so that’s why…”

 

“What!” Toni exclaimed, causing Cheryl to jump in surprise. She relaxed herself and stared down at Cheryl. The girl was blushing in embarrassment. “Sorry, that information was just really startling. Does that mean you just had your first ever orgasm?” Toni asked. In the past Cheryl had never masturbated for fear that it would chip away at her walls. If she was allowing herself to have those thoughts in private, they might slip out in public. So, whenever she got the urge to do those things she’d take a cold shower or read. 

 

“Yeah, that was my first.” Cheryl was still blushing as she answered. It made Toni’s eyes light up at her and pull her closer. 

 

“I’m honored that I could be the first girl to make you cum,” Toni stated. Cheryl hid her face in Toni’s neck when she used that particular word. She then slapped her arm lightly.

 

“Still so egotistical,” Cheryl said jokingly.

 

The rest of the night Toni and Cheryl spent talking and sharing lazy kisses. Around midnight Cheryl reluctantly sent Toni on her way. Her mother would most likely be home soon, possibly with a client. And they both also had school early tomorrow. After a quick makeout session at the front door Toni was off. A few minutes after hearing Toni’s motorcycle drive away she got a text.

 

**Toni: See you at school tomorrow babe.**

  
Cheryl  _ really _ liked that nickname.


	5. Ch. 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for the kind comments! It really inspires me to write and I'm glad you're enjoying it. This one is a little bit shorter, but I wanted to get it out to you guys.

 

The next morning Cheryl woke up feeling excited for the day ahead. Even though her alarm was blaring loudly through the room. She happily reached over to turn it off. Instead of getting up immediately she laid still thinking about the night before. Toni had made her cum and Cheryl had let it happen. Well, Toni had told her to be vulnerable after all. Despite the fact that the beginning of the night had been so  _ raunchy.  _ Toni had stayed afterwards and Cheryl was surprised at how soft she was. She didn’t move away from Cheryl as they talked. Even after they did those things, Toni still wanted to hold her hand and play with her hair. She didn’t try to leave and seemed to want to spend time with Cheryl.

 

Happily, Cheryl stood up to prepare for the day ahead. It didn’t matter to her that she was sleepy from being up until midnight. Briefly, she wondered what time her mom had gotten home. The woman was probably dying to ask her if Nick had been over. Cheryl already planned to lie to her and say he had returned to New York. Which was probably half true. The boy most likely fled Riverdale after the beating he got from Sweet Pea and Fangs.

 

Once Cheryl put the finishing touches on her makeup she made her way through the hall. There was no sign of her mother and the house seemed unnaturally quiet. The redhead had made it all the way to her car without seeing any sign of the woman. With one last suspicious look at Thistle House she was off to school. It was beginning to drizzle out. The little droplets hitting her windshield in quick burst. She rolled her eyes,  knowing her hair that she worked hard on would get ruined. Once reaching the school she walked as fast as she could into the building. Cheryl Blossom didn’t run. Her hair only suffered minimal damage thankfully. When she reached her locker Toni was already standing there.

 

“Are you stalking me or something?” Cheryl jokingly accused in her HBIC voice. The shorter girl had her Serpent jacket on today. It was starting to become her favorite thing Toni wore.

 

“Of course, I am. It’s part of my gang affiliation.” Toni gestured to the leather jacket. “So did your mom give you the third degree this morning?” She said it in a casual way but Cheryl knew she was concerned. If they got caught it could turn into a potentially dangerous situation for Cheryl.

 

“No, I didn’t even see her this morning. It was...strange,” Cheryl explained, shrugging her shoulders. Maybe she was overthinking the situation. Her mother would probably be sitting in the foyer when she got home from school. “It’s most likely nothing to worry about, though.” Cheryl finished. She didn’t know if she was trying to convince Toni or herself.

 

“There’s a mandatory Serpents meeting today after school. But if anything weird happens, please text me.” Toni pleaded, knowing how Cheryl tried to handle everything alone. The bell rang, signaling the end of their conversation. “I’m serious, Bombshell.” She added as she started backing away.

 

“Okay, I promise I’ll keep you updated. Now go to class before Mr. Bennet gives you another detention.” Toni smiled at her before turning to continue down the hall. It felt good knowing the other girl had her back.

 

The rest of the day went by in a blur. During lunch she had been pulled aside by Veronica. The girl apologized for what happened the night of Archie’s party. Cheryl explained that she didn’t blame her in the slightest and that it was in the past. The conversation soon turned to Toni. Veronica couldn’t help but ask what was going on between them. Before she could answer the others began showing up to the table. The blush on her cheeks was enough information for Veronica, though.

 

Returning home to Thistle house, Cheryl walked in ready to deal with her mother. Surprisingly, she was nowhere to be found and the house was still eerily quiet. Walking farther into the living room she called out to her mother. On any other day she’d sneak into her room. But she was curious as to what her mother was up to. When nobody answered she continued on up the steps.

_______________

 

It was hours later when she received a text from Toni. Her mother was still nowhere to be found at Thistle House. It was concerning her the more time that passed.

 

**Toni: Have you seen your mom yet?**

 

**No, she wasn’t here when I got home from school.**

 

**Toni: Me and Jughead are coming over. It’s urgent.**

 

Cheryl was concerned by the text and quickly made her way to the living room. She didn’t bother texting Toni back. There was no point in asking the other girl what was going on. It was only another couple of tense minutes before she heard motorcycle engines. She opened the door as the two pulled up into the driveway. Toni had a relieved look on her face as she practically ran to Cheryl. She pulled the taller girl into a hug as Jughead approached.

 

“Come on, let’s get inside,” He said and glanced around worriedly. Toni let go of Cheryl and grabbed her hand pulling her in. Jughead shut and locked the door behind him.

“What’s going on guys?” Cheryl asked as she let Toni lead her to the couch. Jughead sat across from them in the recliner. Toni and Jughead shared a look before she spoke.

 

“Cheryl, we think your mom knew about the drug trafficking,” Toni gently began to explain. The drug trafficking, the thing that had caused Jason’s death. Her father had shot Jason and then killed himself because of it. Cheryl suddenly felt herself getting angry. 

 

“What makes you think that?” Cheryl could barely get the words out. If was like history was repeating itself in front of her very eyes.

 

“Because my dad spotted her with a guy that use to hang around your dad. They were talking and the guy was handing her over files,” Jughead explained, looking between the two girls. “We think she’s involved in something.” He finished. Cheryl let his words sink in and she just shook her head.

 

“It could’ve been one of her clients. She’s been...performing sexual favors for money,” Cheryl embarrassingly stated. Toni squeezed her hand in comfort. She hadn’t wanted Toni to know about it. But it was important information now.

 

“That’s probably all it was in the beginning. But the meeting was called tonight because of your mom. The Ghoulies are apparently looking for her. We don’t know why yet, but we can only assume it’s drugs. When you told me she still hadn’t been home I knew something was up,” Toni was trying to break the news to her as gently as possible. 

 

“Toni wanted us to come here and make sure you were safe. We don’t know if the Ghoulies will make an attempt to show up here or not,” Jughead added. Cheryl sat still on the couch and tried to process everything. Her mom had essentially left her alone unprotected. Maybe even as a distraction for the Ghoulies if they decided to make an appearance. She didn’t wan’t Toni to leave her side.

 

“Will you stay the night?” Cheryl asked facing the other girl.

 

“Of course, I wasn’t planning on leaving you here alone.” Toni answered and ran her thumb over her knuckles. It calmed Cheryl down slightly.

 

“We’ll both stay. I’ll sleep on the couch so if anyone decides to make an appearance I’ll hear them,” Jughead finalized. 

 

It didn’t take long for them to settle into their respective beds. In the case of the Ghoulies keeping their distance the three still had class in the morning. Jughead was given a pillow and blanket to settle down on the couch. While the two girls were getting ready for bed in Cheryl’s room. Cheryl had let Toni borrow some pajamas to sleep in. She changed into her own while the other girl was in the bathroom.

 

When Toni walked back out she stopped dead in her tracks. Cheryl was sitting cross-legged on the bed in an oversized t-shirt and panties. Her frame being illuminated only by the light of the moon coming in through the window. Toni thought she looked like the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. She made her way over to the bed and climbed up. Cheryl watched as Toni came to kneel in front of her.

 

“It’s gonna be okay.” Toni knew the statement didn’t hold much truth. She didn’t know how things would turn out. Nevertheless, she’d protect Cheryl with all she had.

 

“Just kiss me, please.” Cheryl whispered. She needed to think about anything else besides the situation. Besides her mother and what she was involved in. Toni searched her face for any signs of discomfort before leaning in. Their lips met and Cheryl felt the stress slip out of her body. She quickly dominated the kiss and pushed her tongue into Toni’s mouth. All she wanted in that moment was to feel in control of something. The Serpent  allowed it and wrapped her arms around her neck. The kiss was rough and Toni couldn’t help the moan that slipped out. 

 

Before Toni could process what was happening next, Cheryl flipped her onto her back. The girl then climbed on top of her, only breaking the kiss for a few seconds. It was hot how easily Cheryl had moved her like she weighed nothing. Cheryl used her arms to hold herself up as she moved to kiss down Toni’s neck. She nipped at the skin in certain places along the way. The little noises Toni kept making were driving her insane. 

 

“Ya know,” Cheryl started to say, still continuing her assault on Toni’s neck. There has bound to be a hickey or two there tomorrow morning. “You never got to cum yesterday.” Cheryl finished and Toni let out a whimper. She knew where this was going.

 

“Cher, you don’t have to do anything,” Toni argued causing Cheryl to pull back. They stared into each other’s eyes intensely. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to prove yourself.” Cheryl shook her head and leaned down to kiss Toni. When she pulled back she was smiling, her hair cascading around them.

 

“I know, I just wanna make you feel good, too. You’re the only person that I’ve ever wanted to be with like this,” Cheryl admitted. She resisted the urge to look away from Toni’s gaze. The Serpent moved her arm up to grab onto Cheryl’s wrist. Slowly, she brought the girl’s hand down to the top of her sleep shorts. After that she let go of Cheryl’s wrist and let her make the next move. The girl only hesitated for a moment before pushing her hand in. Both were breathing heavily as Cheryl brushed against Toni’s center. Toni couldn’t help but close her eyes at the feeling. Cheryl moved her hand around experimentally. Using the tips of her fingers to rub Toni’s folds.

 

“You’re so wet,” Cheryl moaned out and moved her hand upwards. She found what she was looking for when Toni let out a low groan. It was one of the sexiest sounds Cheryl thinks she’d ever heard. She started making tight circles over her clit.

 

“Oh my god.” Toni could barely get the words out as Cheryl worked her up. The redhead moved back down to bite at her neck again. She could feel her own arousal soaking through her boyshorts. It was amazing that she restrained herself from grinding down. This was about Toni, though. She wanted to make the girl fall apart beneath her. 

 

It didn’t take long for Cheryl’s wish to come true. As Toni started to tense up, her moans growing louder. Cheryl doubled her efforts and used the force of her arm to add pressure. She could feel the outline of the girl’s swollen clit on her fingertips.

 

“Fuck, baby, I’m coming.” Cheryl pulled back to watch Toni’s face. Her eyes were screwed shut as she let out a long whine. It lasted for a few more seconds before her face finally relaxed. Cheryl slowly pulled her hand out with Toni’s release stuck to her fingers. The other girl watched her with a glazed expression. Noticing the other girl moving her fingers towards her mouth. Cheryl licked at her fingers and wasn’t surprised that she enjoyed the taste. “You’re gonna be the death of me, Bombshell.” Toni whispered continuing to watch her clean her fingers. She smiled down at the other girl once she finished.

 

“Time for bed, T.T.” Cheryl stated and rolled off Toni suddenly. The other girl was left lying there confused as ever. It took her a second before she was crawling up the bed after Cheryl.

 

“Aren’t you going to let me return the favor?” Toni asked in an almost pleading tone. She desperately wanted to touch the other girl. “You were practically dripping on my thigh.”

 

“Sadly that will have to wait. We have school in the morning and if we continue like this we’ll never get to sleep,” Cheryl explained while reluctantly getting under the covers. “Also the house could be under attack at any second.” Toni had completely forgotten about the Ghoulies and Jughead downstairs. Too focused on Cheryl and the little bubble they had created. The Serpent let out a sigh knowing she was right. She soon joined the other girl under the covers.


End file.
